The present invention relates to vehicle cargo carrier devices, and more particularly to apparatus for carrying a load externally alongside a vehicle.
Side racks and similar devices for carrying elongate loads by a vehicle are known, being disclosed, for example in U.S. Pat. No. 2,646,909 to Barden, U.S. Pat. No. 2,672,265 to Milstead, U.S. Pat. No. 2,678,150 to Lund, U.S. Pat. No. 2,680,544 to Hunt, Sr., et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,255,951 to Moore, III. These devices of the prior art have a number of disadvantages; for example:
1. They cannot be used on large numbers of vehicles in that they require specific mounting provisions such as stake pockets;
2. They are difficult to use in that they require brackets or other attachments that are custom designed for specific vehicles;
2. They require mounting holes to be drilled in body parts or other undesirable visible modifications to vehicles on which they are used;
3. They are unsightly, particularly when not in use carrying a load; and
4. They are unsafe in that they require the load to be carried undesirably high on the vehicle, contributing to instability.
Thus there is a need for a vehicle cargo carrier that overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art.
The present invention meets this need by providing a vehicle accessory that is particularly versatile, and effective for use carrying elongate loads, yet is unobtrusive when not in use. In one aspect of the invention, apparatus for carrying a load externally of a vehicle includes a longitudinally spaced plurality of carrier units, each of the carrier units having a socket member; means for mounting the socket member transversely to a chassis of the vehicle, an outside extremity of the socket member projecting to proximate alignment with a side extremity of the vehicle body; a sleeve member telescopically receivable in the socket member; a post member; means for holding the post member upwardly projecting from the sleeve member when the sleeve member is in the socket member; means for securing the post member selectively in plural fixed axial locations relative to the socket member for supporting the load above the sleeve member, wherein at least some of post members are locatable for laterally restraining opposite sides of the load, and the post member of at least one of the carrier units is selectively locatable in fixed axial locations relative to the sleeve member of the at least one carrier unit.
The means for mounting of at least one of the carrier units can include a pair of brackets for laterally spaced engagement with the chassis, and a pair of U-bolts, each of the U-bolts being configured for engaging a corresponding one of the brackets and fixedly clamping the socket member relative to the chassis. The means for mounting can also include a pair of spacers for clamped location between the socket member and the chassis proximate respective ones of the U-bolts. The brackets can be formed for hook-engagement with the chassis, respective portions of the chassis being clamped between corresponding brackets and the socket member by respective ones of the U-bolts when the socket member is clamped relative to the chassis.
The means for securing the post member of at least one of the carrier units can have a lock pin that is selectively engagable with plural axially spaced discontinuities of the sleeve member through a lock opening of the socket member. The means for holding that post member upwardly projecting can include the axially spaced discontinuities of the sleeve member being formed as index openings for receiving the lock member, rotation of the sleeve member within the socket member being prevented by the lock member. Also, or in the alternative, the means for holding that post member upwardly projecting can include the sleeve member and the socket member being formed for non-circularly cylindrical telescopic engagement. The sleeve member and the socket member can be rectangular in cross-section. Further, the means for holding can further include the post member being rigidly connected to the sleeve member. Preferably the sleeve member is telescopically engageable with the socket member in a first orientation wherein the post member projects vertically from the sleeve member, and a second orientation wherein the post member projects horizontally from the sleeve member. For this purpose, the sleeve member and the socket member can be square in cross-section.
The post member of the at least one carrier unit can be an outboard post member being rigidly connected to the sleeve member, the carrier unit further including an inboard post member rigidly connected to a collar member, the collar member having telescopic engagement with the sleeve member. The means for securing can include a first lock pin engagable with a selected one of axially spaced discontinuities of the sleeve member through a lock opening of the socket member, and a second lock pin engagable with another of the discontinuities through a lock opening of the collar member. The collar member can be telescopically engagable between the sleeve member and the socket member, and the means for securing can include a lock pin engagable with a selected one of axially spaced discontinuities of the sleeve member through a lock opening of the socket member and a selected one of axially spaced index openings of the collar member.
The apparatus can be provided in combination with the vehicle. The socket member of at least one of the carrier units can form a portion of a bumper of the vehicle.
The apparatus can also have a base for fixed mounting near an end portion of the vehicle, with the socket member of at least one of the carrier units being pivotally connected to the base on a pivot axis as an arm having a deployed position extending laterally with a free end of the arm forming the outside extremity of the socket member, and a retracted position projecting oppositely from the pivot axis; the post member being an outboard post member connected to the sleeve member for supporting the load against lateral movement away from the body of the vehicle; and an inside post member hingedly connected to the arm proximate the free end thereof, the inside post member having a deployed position projecting upwardly from the arm in the deployed position thereof for laterally spacing the load away from the side extremity of the body, and a folded position extending approximately parallel to the arm. The outboard post member can be hingedly connected to the sleeve member, for movement between a deployed position for the supporting of the load and a folded position extending approximately parallel to the sleeve member, the sleeve member and the outboard post member in the folded position thereof being retractable into the arm to near the free end thereof.